Kirk's dik-dik | |
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Male | |
Female Both at the Etosha National Park in Namibia | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Artiodactyla |
Family: | Bovidae |
Subfamily: | Antilopinae |
Genus: | Madoqua |
Species: | M. kirkii
|
Binomial name | |
Madoqua kirkii (Günther, 1880)
| |
Subspecies | |
4 ssp., see text | |
Range |
Kirk's dik-dik (Madoqua kirkii) is a species of small dik-dik antelope native to Eastern and Southern Africa.[1][2] It is believed to have six subspecies and possibly a seventh existing in southwest Africa.[3] Dik-diks are herbivores, typically of a fawn color that aids in camouflaging themselves in savannah habitats.[3] According to MacDonald (1985), they are also capable of reaching speeds up to 42 km/hour.[4] The lifespan of Kirk's dik-dik in the wild is typically 5 years, but may surpass 10 years.[4] In captivity, males have been known to live up to 16.5 years, while females have lived up to 18.4 years.[4]